The H.J. Heinz Co., which has sold the condiment in red, green, purple, pink, orange and teal, is adding blue to its palette of crazy-colored ketchup. The Pittsburgh company unveiled Heinz EZ Squirt "Stellar Blue" this week, just in time for spring and summer — hot seasons for condiments.

H.J. Heinz Co., which has sold the condiment in red, green, purple, pink, orange and teal, is adding blue to its palette of crazy-colored ketchup.

Keith Srakocic, AP

Based on the success of the other colors, the food giant expects the new color to provide a boost to all ketchup sales, not just the oddly tinted ones, said Heinz spokesman Robin Teets.

Since Heinz introduced its first shade, "Blastin' Green," in October 2000, the company sold more than 25 million bottles of colored ketchup. Last year, Heinz controlled 60% of the American ketchup market, an all-time high for the company, Teets said.

Every time the company introduces a color, its share of the market bumps up a bit, Teets said.

"It's the time of year when overall sales goes up. There's a nice bump in volume from EZ Squirt products, but we tend to have a halo over ketchup, overall," Teets said.

Christine McCracken, an analyst with Midwest Research, said she is not surprised Heinz would introduce a new color, based on the other colors' incremental success.